Angel Thoughts
“Never reply when you are angy. Never make a promise when you are happy. Never make a decision when you are sad.” Spirit of the Unbounded
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Meet Nelia Cruz Sarcol, a vivacious person who started out as a flight attendant. She “took off her wings” to go back to the academe, graduated magna cum laude and received awards from two prestigious international honor societies of the USA. Afterwards, she founded an international school, the CIE British School which is recognized by the University of Cambridge International Examinations, UK. Nelia calls this, “The School for Leaders.”
The CIE British School awards British IGCSE and GCE A Level qualifications to its High School and pre-University students. To date, there are now three campuses: Makati, Cebu, and Tacloban. College bachelor degrees have been added as well as a Master’s degree in Management. The current CIE Non-Academic programs that complement the rigors of academics are impressive as well: art, violin, swimming, aikido, fencing, golf, and travel.
An imposing structure that houses the CIE British School main campus on President Magsaysay Avenue in Cebu symbolizes the vision and dedication built into this school by teacher Nelia. It would be difficult to put in a nutshell all of Nelia’s continuing roster of accomplishments and achievements but a review of a simple and unpretentious but very patriotic book provides an insight of what drives this gem of a woman.
Nelia authored a book on her leadership goals, The Pearl Principle. This was published in 2008 by the CIE Global Colleges, Inc., which revolves on the cycle of life of the oyster giving birth to the pearl. It recounts how the teredo microorganisms invade the oyster and make it secrete nacre to protect itself. Out of this unique natural event, the beautiful, precious pearl emerges as well as its story of inspiration. This, Nelia likens to adversities which constantly challenge Filipinos to face and which they can transform into opportunities to improve themselves as a people and a nation.
Teacher Nelia Cruz Sarcol to this day espouses the Pearl Principle as a guiding post for herself, her school, and the people around her. She looks at it as a movement any one can join in or dedicate one’s self to, and harness in the continuing effort to create a progressive nation and its citizenry.
Her international and local academic titles and recognition are like the pearl’s nacre, continuing to build up and endow her with a rare and unique luster and which she in turn, shares with her school, the CIE British School. You can learn more at www.cie.edu.
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Good news!
PAGCOR has allocated over P2 million to provide relief assistance to families who were victims of the 6.5 magnitude earthquake in the province last July 6. This went for the purchase of relief goods and tent extensions that were distributed to 3,000 affected families in Ormoc City and Kananga town in Leyte.
Elmer Garces and his family were among the evacuees at San Pablo evacuation site in Kananga, Leyte who received aid from PAGCOR. They have had to share a single tent with three other families. In spite of the inconvenience, he was glad that his family and other residents from Barangay Lake Danao are now out of danger zone.
Garces had to remain strong for his children as he is a single father to three kids aged 15, 12, and eight. Garces was thankful that government agencies like PAGCOR reached out to them in their time of great need. “Malaking kaginhawaan sa amin na may iba’t-ibang ahensya na nagmamalasakit sa amin (It feels good that there government agencies who care for us),” Garces shared.
PAGCOR president and chief operating officer Alfredo Lim led the relief mission in Ormoc and Kananga town in Leyte and he stressed the importance of bayanihan during difficult times.
Lim was accompanied by PAGCOR director Reynaldo Concordia and assistant vice president for community relations and services Arnell Ignacio. Kananga town mayor Rowena Codilla expressed her gratitude to PAGCOR for responding to the affected families.
“It’s really a big help. PAGCOR’s kind gesture meant a lot to us as anything that can help our people is important,” said the mayor. Seven barangays in Kananga and 13 in Ormoc were badly affected by the earthquake. (mb.com)